Improvement in fire-escapes



G, W EY ZSheets-Sheet1. FIRE-ESCAPES.

No. 195,354. Patented Sept.18,1877.

WITNESSES INVENTOR ATTORN EYS N.PETF RS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON.D C

Z Sheets.-Sheet 2.

G. W. EYLER. FIRE-ESCAPES.

No. 195,354. Patented Sept.18,l 877.

INVENTOR WITNESSES 6 00, Wfijyie r;

W I a ATTORN EYIS NFErERs, PHOTO-LITNDGRAPHER WASHINGTON D Q UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. EYLER, OF STAUNTON, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FlRE-ESCAPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 195,354, datedSeptember 18, 1877 application filed June 1, 11577.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. EYLER, of Staunton, in the county ofAugusta, and in the State of Virginia, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Fire- Escapes; and do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangementof a fire-escape, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in Which-Figure l is a perspective View of my tireescape, and Fig. 2 is anenlarged longitudinal section of the casing with interior mechanism.

A represents a case or box, made preferably of oval form and of anysuitable dimensions. This box is, along the center of each end piece onthe inside, provided with a metal strap or bar, B, which extends aboveand below the box, as shown, and the ends of these bars are perforatedfor the attachment of the harness.

These bars also form the journal-bearings for two shafts, O and U Thelower shaft (3 projects through the ends of the box sufficiently far toreceive a crank, 0 on each end.

On the shaft 0, within the box A, is loosely placed a spool or drum, D,provided at one end with a cog-wheel, D and at the other end with aflange, D.

E is a pinion, secured firmly on the shaft 0, and meshes with acog-wheel, G, secured on the shaft 0 and on this shaft is furthersecured a pinion, G, which meshes with the cog-wheel D on the spool D.

H is a rope or cable, of wire or any other suitable material, secured toand wound around the spool D, the end of the rope passing out throughthe top of the case, and having a suitable hook fastened to its end.

To one of the cranks O is pivoted a lever,

I, which is connected with a spring dog or pawl, to take into aratchet-wheel, 1, secured permanently to the side of the box.

The harness of the fire-escape consists of a board, J, forming the seat,with a strap, J, passing under the same, and the ends upward throughslots in the board, and connected by snap-hooks a with the lower ends ofthe bars B. To the board J are fastened straps K, passing up the back ofthe person using the fire-escape, and secured by a belt, K, around thewaist. Another belt, L, is passed under the arms of the person, and theends connected by snap-hooks b b with the upper ends of the bars B, thebox A being thus in front of the person, so that he can easily work bothcranks C.

When the fire-escape box has thus been strapped in place on the person,the end of the rope H is, by means of the hook, fastened in any suitableplace within the room, and the person can then get out of the window andgently and easily let himself down by turning the cranks 0 If at anytime he should let go of the cranks the descent is instantly stopped bythe spring-pawl I taking into the ratchet I.

By the arrangement of the gearing within the box great power isobtained, so that a person can just as easily raise himself up as to lethimself down.

Instead of the pawl and ratchet described for stopping the descent, afriction device of any suitable form may be employed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, with the case A, of the shafts O 0 spool D, gearing E GG D, and cranks (J O, with a ratchet or friction device connected to oneor both of said cranks, substantially as and for the purposes herein setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this18th day of May, 1877.

GEO. W. EYLER. Witnesses:

FRANCE L. OURAND, FRANK GALT.

